Andrew Hedley has been invited to join the judging panel for the 2017 Managing Partners’ Forum (MPF) Awards for Management Excellence. MPF created its annual awards in 2002 as a way for the management teams within firms of any size to demonstrate their contribution directly to both clients and employees. The 15th Annual MPF Awards have now been launched with submissions being accepted from 3 October to 30 November 2016 and the ceremony taking place on 8 March 2017.

Andrew Hedley will be speaking on the subject of “Working with your team, internal clients and external law firms to plan and execute effective strategies for change” at the In-House Leaders: Strategies for Success conference which is to take place on 19th October in London.

Andrew Hedley is one of the thought leaders who has contributed a chapter to the recently published Growth Strategies for the Modern Law Firm. The book “provides advice on the growth options available in a competitive legal market, and shares practical guidance designed to help firm leaders to formulate and implement a profitable, sustainable growth strategy”.

Andrew Hedley was invited to contribute some of his views to a Law Society Gazette analysis of merger strategy in the legal sector. To read the feature click here.

• March 2016:
The Lawyer Leadership Summit Advisory Board

Andrew Hedley has been invited to join the advisory board for The Lawyer Leadership Summit which is to be held on 28th and 29th September 2016 in London. The summit offers law firm leaders the opportunity to network with senior thought leaders from the legal services industry along with other professionals from across the rapidly changing legal services market. Delegates will include managing and senior partners from the world’s top firms along with C-suite professionals and other business services group leaders. The Lawyer Business Leadership Summit has been specifically designed to assist these professionals in running a successful business in what continues to be the most challenging, but also stimulating, global legal services environment.

To see the full advisory board click here. To learn more about The Lawyer Leadership Summit and how to reserve your place click here.

• March 2016:
The Challenges of Leadership Are Different
to the Challenges of Management

The fundamental differences between leadership and management are examined in this article for Managing Partner magazine, with the ability to articulate a clear vision, build a strong consensus, engage people in the change process, embed succession and create a sustainable business to the fore. To read the article click here.

Andrew Hedley will be chairing the second annual Growth Strategies for Legal Services Conference, having facilitated a high-profile panel discussion at the inaugural event in 2015. The conference will be held in central London on 30th June 2016. For more information, to view the programme and book a place click here.

Andrew Hedley will be speaking at the KM Legal UK 2016: A Knowledge Management and Client Value Conference which is to be held in central London on 18th and 19th May 2016. Andrew’s talk will centre on “Building a clear line of sight: Knowledge, strategy and a sustainable competitive advantage “. For more information and to book a place at the conference click here.

Andrew Hedley will deliver the keynote for the strategy session at the Managing Partners’ Forum Strategy Summit 2016 which is to be held over 9th and 10th March in London. For full details of the summit programme click here.

• December 2015 / January 2016:
The Cultural Dimensions of Leveraging Institutional Knowledge

Andrew Hedley’s concept of knowledgability - the ways in which a firm may utilise and capitalise on client, relationship, expertise and experience knowledge assets- is discussed in this article. There is a particular focus on the ways in which culture impacts on performance – whether defined at a firm, professional or national level. To read the article click here.

Andrew Hedley will be speaking to the Managing Partners’ Forum in Bristol on 16th March 2016. He will be discussing the importance of aligning strategy with high performance as seen through the eyes of the client. By taking a client centred approach to strategic questions, firms are able to articulate and then deliver sustainable competitive advantage. To learn more and book a place click here.

• November 2015:
Team Morale Is Directly Linked to the Ability to Deliver Differentiated Client Services

The impact of morale and motivation are explored in this article which applies theory and examines best practice approaches. It illustrates how the best performing firms create a direct line of sight between employee engagement, motivation, business performance, client loyalty and long-term competitive advantage. To read the article click here.

Andrew Hedley has been invited to join the judging panel for the 2016 Managing Partners’ Forum (MPF) Awards for Management Excellence. MPF created its annual awards in 2002 as a way for the management of firms of any size to demonstrate their contribution directly to clients and employees.

The Awards are an integral part of the MPF International Management Excellence Summit in association with Harvard Business Review and Financial Times, which culminates with an open-to-all gala dinner and Awards ceremony on 11th March 2015.

• October 2015:
Horizon Scanning to Identify and Capitalise on New Growth Opportunities

Andrew Hedley discusses how law firms that recognise the importance of creating competitive advantage by identifying and acting upon growth opportunities focus on developing good long-term scanning capabilities. Coupled with the ability to act on the most compelling opportunities identified, they succeed in seeing the future early and putting themselves in the best position to capitalise on any new opportunity. To read the article click here.

• September 2015:
A Strategic Perspective on Winning More Business through Pitches

Improving pitch win rate, whilst securing work which is profitable, is vital to any firm’s sustainability in an environment in which formal tender situations are increasingly the norm. Andrew Hedley discusses some of the key guidelines which, if followed, can help to increase win rates. To read the article click here.

*DIARY DATE:
Differentiation not Commoditisation - Standing Out without Entering into a Pricing War (Lexis Nexis Webinar Series)

Andrew Hedley will co-present a webinar with Mark Jones (of Mark Jones Consulting) on the topic of “Differentiation not commoditisation - standing out without entering into a pricing war” as part of the LexisNexis online learning webinar programme on 17th September 2015. To learn more about the LexisNexis programme click here or to access the webinar click here.

• July / August 2015:
A Knowledge-led Approach to Business Development Is Key to Law Firm Resilience

The critical linkage between knowledge management and business development in order to better understand and develop opportunities is explored from a number of perspectives. To read the article click here.

Andrew Hedley will be speaking to the Managing Partners’ Forum in Leeds on 16th September 2015. His topic will be “Helping your strategy work harder”. For more information and to book a place click here.

• June 2015:
Using Scenario Planning to Map Your Firm’s and Your Clients’ Risks and Opportunities

In an uncertain world, a range of possible futures need to be anticipated. Scenario planning techniques allow us to explore, understand and develop options for a world which is increasingly non-linear. To read the article click here.

• May 2015:
Andrew Hedley to speak on Manchester Law School’s Law Management Programme

Andrew Hedley has been invited to be a visiting speaker on Manchester Law School’s Postgraduate Certificate in Law Firm Management programme. Andrew topic area will centred on issues of leadership and change in building a successful law firm. To learn more about the programme click here.

• May 2015:
Becoming Change-able is the Key to Law Firm Success

Fostering a culture in which change is the norm is the challenge sine qua non for law firms. The best laid plans will fail if a firm is unable to change – operationally, structural and, most importantly, culturally. Behavioural change is the elephant in the room. To read the article click here.

• April 2015:
Using a Competitive Perspective to Chart Your Law Firm’s Strategy

The core purpose of any strategy is to create sustainable competitive advantage. Strategy must be contextual and it is critical to the building of the narrative that a competitive lens is applied. To read the article click here.

The inaugural Growth Strategies for Legal Services conference will be held on 18th June in London Docklands. Andrew Hedley will be chairing and facilitating a panel discussion considering The Client’s Perspective on Business Development. To read more about the conference and book a place click here to access the brochure.

• March 2015:
Using Proxies to Differentiate and Build Confidence in Your Law Firm

The best marketed firms understand that clients judge them through a whole range of experiential and reputational measures. Those that understand these factors use them strategically to build sustainable success. To read the article click here.

• February 2015:
Use Strategic Focus to Dominate a Market

Strategic focus is what separates the winners from the also rans. Read Andrew Hedley's rationale and key learning points in this article. To read the article click here.

• December 2014 / January 2015:
Investing in the Partners of the Future

The changing nature of the role of the partners and the strategies for building the requisite skills are the subject of this opinion piece. To read the article click here.

• November 2014:
Answering the Big Strategic Questions with Honesty and Objectivity

For many leaders, creating a clear and unified view, together with addressing the consequences of such a focus, is the single biggest opportunity and challenge they face. It is the elephant in the room which needs to be addressed in order to bring clarity and purpose to the business. To read the article click here.

• October 2014:
Succession Planning is Vital to Building a Sustainable Future for Your Law Firm

Plan early, plan well and be prepared to act decisively and implement incrementally to avoid a succession log-jam or vacuum. Either scenario could dramatically compromise the future of your firm; both are difficult to fix in the short term without destabilising effects. To read the article click here.

Andrew Hedley has again been invited to be a member of the judging panel for the 2015 Managing Partners’ Forum (MPF) Awards. MPF created its annual Awards for Management Excellence in 2002 as a way for the management of firms of any size to demonstrate their contribution directly to clients and employees. The Awards are an integral part of the MPF International Management Excellence Summit in association with Harvard Business Review and Financial Times, which culminates with an open-to-all gala dinner and Awards ceremony on 11th March 2015. Firms which have excelled in leadership, operations, collaboration, capabilities or commerciality and wish to enter for an MPF Award can find more details click here. The closing date for entries is 28th November 2014.

• September 2014:
Future Proofing Your Law Firm

The first instalment of a new monthly Managing Partner column which examines how law firms can position themselves to create a future that is both profitable and sustainable – the concept of ‘future proofing’. To read the article
click here.

*DIARY DATE:
Law Society of Scotland Conference 2014: The People's Verdict, So What Now?

Andrew Hedley will deliver an address entitled Attitudes to Anticipate Your Law Firm's Future to the business stream of the Law Society Of Scotland's annual conference The People's Verdict, So What Now? The conference will take place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Edinburgh on 3rd and 4th October. To access the conference website and book a place click here. To read the full programme click here.

Andrew Hedley will be speaking on the topic of Commercial Awareness and the Lawyer: From Black-Letter Adviser to Business Partner in the Law Firm Management stream on the second day of the SJ Live event, which will be held over two days at the Emirates Stadium. To read the full two day programme click here or to access the main SJLive website click here.

*DIARY DATE:
MBL Business Development Conference for Professional Service Firms: How to Get a Return on Your Investment

Andrew Hedley will be speaking about Walking the Talk: Linking Strategy to Business Development at this high-level conference to be held in London on 1st October. Featuring many of the top management speakers with a wealth of experience of working for and with professional firms of all sizes, it provides a detailed, practical and jargon-free insight into how to make business development work profitably for your practice. For more information and to book a place click here.